Deontological Theories

Kant

-Influenced by Pietism, Rousseau (social contract), rationalism vs. empiricism, natural law theories, rule intutionism
-Wrote: The Critique of Pure Reason and the Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals
-Did not like empiricist ideas

Hypothetical commands

Categorical commands

-Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it would become a universal law
-Procedure for determining the morality of any course of action
-All specific moral duties can be derived from this single imperative

Heteronomy

Rationalism

-Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Wolf - all followers of rationalism
-Pure reason could tell us how the world is, independent of experience
-Experience may be necessary to open our minds to these ideas but essentially they are innate ideas that god
-Morals are metaphysic knowledge, implanted by God

Intuitionism

Act intuitionism

-Sees each act as a unique ethical occasion and holds that we must decide what is right or wrong in each situation by consulting our conscience or our intuitions or by making choice apart from any rules
-"let your conscience be your guide

Rule intuitionism

-We must decide what is right or wrong in each situation by consulting moral rules that we receive through intuition
-Accept principle of universalizability
-"we ought never to lie" "we ought to keep our promises"